Ben Sohrabi Inducted Into Maryville College Wall of Fame
10/20/2009 2:45:52 PM | Women's Soccer
RADFORD - Rarely does a student-athlete enter college and expect to take a spot as one of the best at their sport in the school's history.
That became a reality for Radford head women's soccer coach Ben Sohrabi, who was inducted into Maryville (Tenn.) College's athletic Wall of Fame last Friday.
“It was nice to be recognized for my commitment and dedication that I had given to the college,” Sohrabi says. “I felt happy for my family to see me in this type atmosphere. I think my parents were very proud. “
On the field, he posted quality numbers: Sohrabi finished his career as a Fighting Scot with the fourth-best season in assists (9 in 1991) and currently ranks sixth in assists with 22. In 1991, he was an NSCAA/ Umbro All-South honoree following the season.
But for Sohrabi, the experience will last beyond the record book.
The road from high school soccer standout to Maryville College great was paved along a path that took him from being a top up-and-coming soccer player in the Nashville area to a town located just south of Knoxville at the base of the Smoky Mountains. For Sohrabi, part of the draw was knowing the man in charge.
“I chose Maryville because I was familiar with the coach then,” Sohrabi says.
The coach at the time was Phil Neddo, who was working soccer camps in the Nashville area. He was able to get Sohrabi onto the campus of just over 1,000 students, where he committed to playing for the Division III Fighting Scots.
Fortunately for Maryville, Sohrabi resisted the overtures of Division I programs and made his way back to campus in time for the 1988 season.
“I committed, and was later recruited by Western Kentucky and UAB, but decided to stick with my commitment to Maryville,” he says.
Sohrabi was rewarded for his commitment, signing on with a team that went 16-3-1 in his freshman year and the growing chemistry of the Maryville side, along with a key win over regional standout Emory, kept Sohrabi hungry.
The next year, Neddo, who brought Sohrabi to Maryville, stepped aside and a new face assumed the lead role for the Fighting Scots. Pepe Fernandez made his way to western Tennessee to assume the reigns, leading Maryville to records of 11-6-2 in 1989, 15-4-1 in 1990, and 9-5-2 in 1991.
Twenty seasons later, Fernandez, who has more than 200 wins with both the men's and women's soccer programs, is still at Maryville.
Sohrabi, who cut his teeth as a coach at his alma mater, says he continues to both live and pass along lessons he learned from Fernandez.
“What I learned from him was this: do something with recruiting every single day; constant driving motivation is so important; do all the little things right and in the end the big things will work out.
“Plus, he taught me that the game itself is a great teacher.”
The game was kind to Sohrabi over the next three seasons. In 1989, Sohrabi turned in 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists), fourth-best on the team. The 1990 season saw the Scots beat Vanderbilt (coincidentally, Maryville and Radford beat Vandy by identical 1-0 scores that season) and go on to a conference tournament title, while Sohrabi scored four goals and handed out four assists. As a co-captain in 1991, Sohrabi scored nine times, including multi-goal efforts against Belmont and Asbury.
He also played alongside his brother Ali, assisting on one of his goals against Centre in 1991.
Some of his favorite memories though, were the intangibles: the traveling life of a Division III team and the chemistry that reached a peak late in the year.
“Getting in the vans to travel anticipating playing a quality team and winning was a highlight,” he says. “Plus, the last three-quarters of every season it always felt like we were playing our best soccer and games during that time of the year were fun.”
Beyond those memories, he wasn't sure a soccer career was ahead.
“I didn't expect anything was going to happen with my soccer career, he says. “I was a business major.”
Fortunately for Radford, three Big South titles and NCAA appearances later, a college soccer career that began at Maryville College in 1988 worked out for Sohrabi.
That became a reality for Radford head women's soccer coach Ben Sohrabi, who was inducted into Maryville (Tenn.) College's athletic Wall of Fame last Friday.
“It was nice to be recognized for my commitment and dedication that I had given to the college,” Sohrabi says. “I felt happy for my family to see me in this type atmosphere. I think my parents were very proud. “
On the field, he posted quality numbers: Sohrabi finished his career as a Fighting Scot with the fourth-best season in assists (9 in 1991) and currently ranks sixth in assists with 22. In 1991, he was an NSCAA/ Umbro All-South honoree following the season.
But for Sohrabi, the experience will last beyond the record book.
The road from high school soccer standout to Maryville College great was paved along a path that took him from being a top up-and-coming soccer player in the Nashville area to a town located just south of Knoxville at the base of the Smoky Mountains. For Sohrabi, part of the draw was knowing the man in charge.
“I chose Maryville because I was familiar with the coach then,” Sohrabi says.
The coach at the time was Phil Neddo, who was working soccer camps in the Nashville area. He was able to get Sohrabi onto the campus of just over 1,000 students, where he committed to playing for the Division III Fighting Scots.
Fortunately for Maryville, Sohrabi resisted the overtures of Division I programs and made his way back to campus in time for the 1988 season.
“I committed, and was later recruited by Western Kentucky and UAB, but decided to stick with my commitment to Maryville,” he says.
Sohrabi was rewarded for his commitment, signing on with a team that went 16-3-1 in his freshman year and the growing chemistry of the Maryville side, along with a key win over regional standout Emory, kept Sohrabi hungry.
The next year, Neddo, who brought Sohrabi to Maryville, stepped aside and a new face assumed the lead role for the Fighting Scots. Pepe Fernandez made his way to western Tennessee to assume the reigns, leading Maryville to records of 11-6-2 in 1989, 15-4-1 in 1990, and 9-5-2 in 1991.
Twenty seasons later, Fernandez, who has more than 200 wins with both the men's and women's soccer programs, is still at Maryville.
Sohrabi, who cut his teeth as a coach at his alma mater, says he continues to both live and pass along lessons he learned from Fernandez.
“What I learned from him was this: do something with recruiting every single day; constant driving motivation is so important; do all the little things right and in the end the big things will work out.
“Plus, he taught me that the game itself is a great teacher.”
The game was kind to Sohrabi over the next three seasons. In 1989, Sohrabi turned in 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists), fourth-best on the team. The 1990 season saw the Scots beat Vanderbilt (coincidentally, Maryville and Radford beat Vandy by identical 1-0 scores that season) and go on to a conference tournament title, while Sohrabi scored four goals and handed out four assists. As a co-captain in 1991, Sohrabi scored nine times, including multi-goal efforts against Belmont and Asbury.
He also played alongside his brother Ali, assisting on one of his goals against Centre in 1991.
Some of his favorite memories though, were the intangibles: the traveling life of a Division III team and the chemistry that reached a peak late in the year.
“Getting in the vans to travel anticipating playing a quality team and winning was a highlight,” he says. “Plus, the last three-quarters of every season it always felt like we were playing our best soccer and games during that time of the year were fun.”
Beyond those memories, he wasn't sure a soccer career was ahead.
“I didn't expect anything was going to happen with my soccer career, he says. “I was a business major.”
Fortunately for Radford, three Big South titles and NCAA appearances later, a college soccer career that began at Maryville College in 1988 worked out for Sohrabi.
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